Aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), along with embarked squadrons and staffs of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 22, arrived in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR), Nov. 20.
George H.W. Bush completed five months of combat operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR and was relieved by USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).
While in the Mediterranean Sea, George H.W. Bush will conduct a full range of maritime operations and theater security cooperation efforts in concert with coalition, joint, interagency and other partners to improve operational proficiency, and maintain maritime safety and security.
The ship will continue through the Mediterranean Sea and make its seventh scheduled port visit on its return to homeport in Norfolk.
George H.W. Bush departed from Norfolk May 11, for a regularly scheduled deployment as part of the ongoing rotation of forward-deployed forces to support maritime security operations and operate in international waters across the globe, along with other coalition maritime forces.
George H. W. Bush is the flag ship of George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWB CSG). Additional ships deployed with the strike group are guided-missile cruisers USS Gettysburg (CG 64) and USS Anzio (CG 68), and the guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 22 – USS Truxtun (DDG 103) and USS Mitscher (DDG 57).
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , November 22, 2011; Image: navy